On Shabbat morning, as Israelis and Jews around the world were gathered with their families to celebrate the Simchat Torah holiday, Israel was targeted in an unprecedented surprise attack by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.
Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory by land, sea, and air and made their way to numerous southern towns and villages and even a trance party; entering homes, executing civilians, and taking numerous hostages. At the same time, thousands of rockets were fired into Israel, targeting cities throughout the country, from Gaza border communities to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Within minutes, IDF reservists were called up by the thousands. Within hours, soldiers were in southern towns and villages, responding to Hamas’s attacks. As it became clear that several communities were being held by Hamas, Israeli forces set about trying to reclaim them.
Over 100 Israelis were killed on Saturday and many hundreds were wounded. An untold number were taken hostage and brought to Gaza. The full scope of the attack remains unclear and the numbers will surely rise in the days ahead.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced: “We are at war.”
The question on everyone’s minds is how this could possibly have happened: How could a country that boasts some of the best intelligence and military capabilities of any in the world have been caught so completely unaware – fifty years, almost to the day, after the worst intelligence and military failure in Israel’s history, the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Some have rushed to point fingers or try to score political points, even as Israelis were being gunned down in the streets or taken captive.
That is perverse.
Now is not the time for blame. That reckoning will come, and it will be one of the most consequential since the Agranat Commission, following the Yom Kippur War.
Now is the time for solidarity – and action.
Unite with Israel
All people of conscience, and all national governments, must stand with Israel and express their unreserved support for the Jewish state’s right to defend itself against one of the worst attacks in its history.
We must all stand with the residents of southern Israel, and particularly those whose family members are missing or confirmed dead.
We must all stand with the security forces and emergency services, doing whatever they must to respond to the assault and keep us safe.
Personal and collective responsibilities
At the same time, every individual and every family must take responsibility for their own actions.
For some, that will mean reporting for reserve duty, volunteering to join the emergency services, opening their homes to those fleeing the fighting, or donating blood.
For everyone, it means following the directions of the IDF Home Front Command, the Israel Police, and other authorities. If you see something suspicious, call the police.
It also means taking extreme care with how we all share information.
Relatives of those who were in southern Israel at the time of the attack, including friends and family of attendees at the trance party that was targeted by terrorists, took to social media to beg people to stop posting photos and videos of people being kidnapped and murdered.
One post being broadly circulated and re-shared said, “This is not the way anyone should find out that their family member was taken hostage.”
Terrorist organizations regularly engage in psychological warfare. That is why, in times of war, social media is filled to the brim with horrific images of attacks and their aftermath, threats of violence by terrorist organizations, and even fake news. All are meant to incite panic and promote a general sense of insecurity.
A few hours after the attacks began, Israel Police warned that reports circulating on social media about the Old City coming under attack were fake news.
“We emphasize … that the public should rely on official reports and refrain from spreading or sharing false information,” the police said.
“Don’t help the enemy!” a public bulletin promoted on social media warned. “Don’t spread rumors on WhatsApp or social media. Don’t share threats by terrorist organizations. Don’t distribute videos or photos from scenes of terror attacks.”
“Remain vigilant, be responsible,” it concluded. “Together we will win.”